Here are the details from The Associated Press.

“We understand Vick is trying to right his wrongs and is very interested in redemption, but you can’t find redemption without acknowledging your victims,” Racer said. “Making amends to the dogs themselves would have helped to create some closure for many of us, especially those people who worked so hard to keep them from being destroyed. It seems that Vick is not ready to go there.”

The visit would have taken place at a location where Vick could view the dogs from a distance so that it satisfied the conditions of his parole that bar him from being near animals.

Despite the fact that Vick claims he is trying to ‘right his wrong’  he declined the offer.  Maybe he was afraid the dogs would recognize him.

*Ollie is available for adoption, he’s on Dogster’s Adoption & Rescue Center.

Since his release he has partnered with the HSUS to help bring national awareness about this sadistic “sport” and bring an end to it.

Here are the details from the Associated Press.

“I got caught up in the culture,” Vick told an audience at the Covenant Baptist Church, per the Associated Press. “I never thought that I would get caught.

“I used poor judgment. I had people around me who didn’t have my best interests at heart,” he said.

“Who knows what could have happened at 3 in the morning when you’re fighting dogs?” he said. “It’s almost like being involved in the streets, dealing drugs, in criminal life.”

I’ve got to tell you,  I’m not hearing a lot of remorse in his statements. Not once does he actually take credit for what he did, he blames it on others and is glad he didn’t get hurt while involved in dog fighting.

Several dozen people showed up to hear him, about half were teens or children.

* Pic courtesy McIsaac/Getty Images

Alright, it isn’t an offer for anyone to tackle Michael Vick, it’s a challenge to the Redskins.

The Main Line Animal Rescue, based out of D.C., put an ad in The Washington Post that some may consider a bit controversial. I, on the other hand, think it’s the first sensible news having to do with Michael Vick that I’ve seen in a while.

The company pledged to donate five bags of dog food to local D.C. shelters every time the Redskins tackle Michael Vick when they play the Eagles on October 26th. According to Fox Sports,the founder and CEO of the shelter Bill Smith is skeptical of Vick’s newfound concern for dogs.

I think we’re all getting tired of the ‘Does he deserve a second chance?’ kind of thing,” Bill Smith told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I think we just need to raise public awareness, and this is a good way to do that. It may be funny. It may be clever. It may not.”

The ad encourages people to volunteer at a shelter on game day.  Volunteering at a shelter any time is a good idea, you don’t need to wait for a special occasion.

* Pepper Anne is at the Washington Humane Society, she’s a 1 year old Chow Chow brought to the  shelter after her owners got evicted from their home and had nowhere to keep her anymore. If you’re interested in this beautiful girl visit the WHS website.

Since the Eagles signed Michael Vick dog fighting has been the talk of the town in Philly. To add fuel to the fire, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports a dog fighting ring has been busted in Germantown which is just outside the city.

A tip from the animal-cruelty hotline sent officers from the Pennsylvania SPCA to a house in East Germantown. Several dead dogs were found and a few badly injured pit bulls were rescued.  Four men, one is the property owner, face charges.

Today, the Eagles plan to hold a summit of area animal-welfare groups at the NovaCare Complex, the team’s South Philadelphia training facility. Vick is not expected to attend.

“This particular bust is especially timely,” said Gail Luciani, the chief public relations officer for the Pennsylvania SPCA.

George Bengal, director of law enforcement for the Pennsylvania SPCA, said the entire block where the bust took place is a mecca for dog fighting. Roughly 50-75 complaints come in each month, many off the hotline.

It’s great to hear there are people out there that care enough to call the hotline. To file reports of dog fighting and other animal cruelty, contact the Pennsylvania SPCA at 1-866-601-SPCA (7722) or via email.

The pup pictured above is one-month-old Petey, a pit bull mix, he was rescued by a Dogster member after his mother was shot and he (along with littermates) were left in a trash bag to die. He is up for adoption, watch for his full story on the blog tomorrow.

Just when you think you’ve seen everything along comes a customizable Michael Vick dog jersey. What more could a dog lover ask for?

The L.A. Times reports that fans can order  the Philadelphia Eagles dog jersey with Vick’s name on the back on the NFLShop.com site.

A New York Daily News reporter successfully purchased the “custom pet jersey,” making it clear that Vick isn’t on the league’s list of words and names shoppers cannot use for customized jerseys.

“Like any other player, [customers] can obtain that name and that jersey if they wish,” league spokesman Greg Aiello told the Daily News. “As far as putting it on the dog product, he’s working with humane societies, working to educate others on this issue, so we don’t see a problem.”

I cannot fathom a dog lover walking around with a Michael Vick jersey. For that matter, I don’t know why anyone would possibly want one. A Michael Vick dog chew toy….maybe.

* Pic courtesy NFLShop.com

Spokesperson John Polis and John Garcia who is heading up the dogs care at Best Friends in Kanab, Utah were interviewed on USA TODAY.

“We feel that in the very near future, Cherry may be ready for foster care,” says John Polis, spokesman for Best Friends.

“When we first got him, he would just splay down on his belly. He had just totally shut down. John had to carry him everywhere in the beginning. He’s doing very well now.”

And Georgia is a star on television and in the publicity arena.

She was on Larry King Live Monday night with Garcia and makes the rounds with him to spread the word about the dogs’ recovery from a life of abuse.

“She had experienced fighting her whole life,” Garcia says. “Now she’s going around meeting people all over with us in places like the Beverly Hills Hilton. We hope that sends a very powerful message. She’s gone from rags to riches. These dogs were the victims. All it has taken is patience.”

Before any Vicktory dog is adopted out they must pass a very difficult canine “good citizen”  test and any potential family is thoroughly scrutinized to make sure it will be an appropriate fit.  Best Friends have worked very hard to rehabilitate these dogs and want to do everything they can to ensure a successful adoption.

* Pic of John Garcia and Georgia courtesy Best Friends

I received a message from one of our Dogster members pertaining to Vick’s new contract with the Eagles.

Many people are outraged by this decision but not sure how to make their voice heard. The message below provides information to help ensure the Eagles will know how the public feels.

Maybe it would put the matter in an easier to comprehend perspective for the general public if we replaced the term “dog fighting” with “pedophilia.” Get it now, sports fans?

If you are as sick as I am about hearing from, reading and listening about Vick, and all the people blogging about Vick, and all the organizations jumping on the Vick bandwagon, please do something useful:

a) Let the corporate partners of the Eagles know that you not only are not going to support the team, you’re also are not going to buy their products & services.

Be sure to copy your messages to the corporate partners, then paste and send to the team through their contact form.

b) I talked to the Eagles’ front office today. They are preparing for “outrage.” Call them at 215-463-2500, a human will take your call during business hours, and transfer you to a line they’ve set up to record you expressing yourself. (Please be civil. The person answering your call and tasked with listening to messages will not be Michael Vick.) I’m listing that as an option, but telling their corporate partners your opinion is going to be much more effective.

Despite if you believe he served his time and should be able to live his life, or that football players aren’t role models,  I still can’t understand why the Eagles would want to associate with the kind of human being that would commit such despicable acts.

Now you have the contacts you need, there’s no excuse to just talk about your outrage and not take action.

It’s official, the Eagles have signed Vick to a two-year contract. I think Kate Woodviolet from the LA Pet Rescue Examiner sums it up best.

Philadelphia Eagles President Joe Banner announced Thursday night that the team has signed disgraced former Atlanta Falcon and admitted dog killer Michael Vick to a two-year contract.

It is unclear how Vick can be eligible to sign a two-year deal if his reinstatement is only conditional at this time. It also calls into question whether Goodell and the NFL, instead of determining Vick’s future based on his conduct during the initial six-week period, were simply waiting to see if any NFL team wanted Vick before committing the league to a full reinstatement.

The Eagles announced the move on the website via the column “On the Inside” written by Dave Spadaro, under the breathless headline “Yes, It’s True! Vick Is An Eagle.” The brief article contains few details on the deal, although Spadaro gushes that the news “certainly is exciting, thrilling, shocking.” Spadaro does not once mention Vick’s conviction, nor the specific crimes to which he pled guilty. Such omissions go far toward explaining why so many people across the nation are still unaware of the extent of Vick’s admitted brutality towards his own dogs, as well as to family pet dogs he and his friends placed in the ring with fighting dogs because, according to a 2008 USDA report, they “thought it was funny to watch the pit bull dogs belonging to [Vick's] Bad Newz Kennels injure or kill the other dogs.”

Also helping to promote widespread misconceptions that Vick only “fought a few dogs” is the fact that throughout his legal odyssey Vick himself has only publicly acknowledged committing “immature acts” and, more recently, “terrible mistakes.” Even today, comments left on the Eagles website by fans who support the Vick signing insist, incorrectly, that Vick only fought dogs, rather reflecting an understanding of the fact that in addition to putting pet dogs in the ring with trained fighters, Vick also both participated in killing and conspired to kill at least thirteen of his own dogs by various means including shooting, hanging, drowning, electrocution and, in one case, viciously slamming the dog’s body to the ground; acts that NFL Commissioner Goodell once characterized as “not only illegal, but also cruel and reprehensible.” Apparently Goodell’s opinion of killing dogs by various torturous means has changed.

Pictured above is Leo, a former Vick dog, now fully rehabilitated and a certified therapy dog.

* Pic courtesy msnbc.com

Dogs are rescued from a St. Louis, Mo., location by Humane Society officials July 8, 2009, part of what federal officials call the largest dog-fighting bust in American history. More than 350 mostly American Pit Bull Terrier dogs were rescued in at least five states.  (Photo: AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

Dogs stand chained before being taken away by Humane Society officials in St. Louis, Mo., July 8, 2009. The Humane Society of Missouri says it would welcome help as it shelters about 300 dogs that were seized in raids of dog-fighting operations in Missouri and Illinois. (Photo: AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

As most people know, Michael Vick has been released from prison. What you may not know is the Humane Society of the United States is considering allowing him to get involved in an anti-dog fighting outreach program.

Supporters of this program believe that Vick has served his sentence, apologized for his actions, and that he is ready to share his prison experience and the lesson he learned, with urban community youths who may otherwise travel down pathways to crime and inappropriate street activity.

What’s interesting is that the HSUS was the very first organization to petition the National Football League to indefinitely suspend Vick from the NFL and as well, they were the leading voice behind influencing all of Vick’s sponsors to dissolve their contracts with him. Both efforts were successful.

While numerous ex-convicts (or shall we say “ex-con’Vicks’”) serve their sentences, and then receive a clean slate – some deserving, some…not so much, one cannot ignore the most observable fact of all – Michael Vick has never shown any ‘genuine’ remorse for his actions – he just knows what to say, how to articulate it, to whom he should appeal, and exactly what avenue to travel, that will best pave his way back to the NFL.

Vick says he now wants to commit himself to leading a mission with the HSUS to exterminate the ‘sport’ of dog fighting, and earn his way back into the good graces of society…to be “part of the solution rather than a further part of the problem.”

Michael Vick has spoken about growing up with dog fighting, something he didn’t consider wrong at the time, just a part of his youth. As an adult, even after being college educated and enjoying the privileges that come with being a football star, torturing and watching a dog be killed for sport still didn’t strike him as wrong. Or as inhumane.

I guess he must have missed the terrified dogs, the ones who were crying and trying to get away, the ones that ended up maimed or dead. Oh wait, the dogs were his, tortured and abused. I guess he didn’t miss it, he just didn’t care. After all, in his own words, dog fighting is just a sport.

Give me a bark, let me know what you think.

* Trevor is an adorable 1-year-old in Dracut, MA looking for a forever home.